Sharp to cut another 3000 jobs

Tokyo, August 22, 2012

Embattled Japanese television maker Sharp Corporation may cut a further 3,000 jobs on top of the 5,000 already announced by selling two television assembly plants to Taiwanese partner Hon Hai Precision Industry.

Sharp will sell TV factories in China and Mexico to Hon Hai, a source said, confirming an earlier report in Japan's Yomiuri newspaper. Each employs 1,500 workers, added the source.

The sale of assembly plants is the latest in a string of additional steps the troubled TV maker is mulling to curb costs and satisfy bankers it needs to stay solvent.

Kyodo News reported over the weekend that Sharp was considering doubling the number of job cuts to 10,000 from the 5,000, or 10 per cent of its workforce, already planned.

'We continue to work towards forming the best alliance within our agreement with Hon Hai, but no decision has been made about selling them our factories in Mexico and China,' a Sharp spokesman said.

The maker of Aquos TVs also operates assembly plants in Malaysia, Poland and Japan.

Sharp, with debt of 1.25 trillion yen ($16 billion), is scrambling for money to refinance as much as 360bn yen of short-term commercial paper and a 200bn yen convertible bonds maturing in September next year.

The company will submit an asset appraisal report to its banks next month that will identify businesses the century-old company has to sell in return for funding, sources at the company's lenders have said.